WWII Mortar Found on Hampton Beach

A WWII mortar round was discovered on Hampton beach near Herne Bay, Kent over the weekend. The device was found by a man with a metal detector at low tide and the Coastguard was informed. An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team was summoned to dispose of the mortar, only for it to have been covered by the retreating tide. They returned the following evening to carry out a controlled explosion.

The coast along Herne Bay was used extensively for military training during WWII, with a number of practice firing ranges aimed out towards the sea. It is therefore not uncommon for Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) to wash up on regional beaches.

This is the second UXO find within a week at Herne Bay after a cache of Self-Igniting Phosphorus (SIP) grenades was discovered on a building site.

For more see: http://www.canterburytimes.co.uk/Unexploded-WWII-bomb-detonated-Herne-Bay-video/story-27447485-detail/story.html